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comment by bioemerl
bioemerl  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Robert J. Shiller: The Coming Anti-National Revolution

if you set a prediction for a long enough set of time, then it is bound to come true. In the time frame listed, it is likely that poverty worldwide is going to cure itself, as the world presently has poverty diminishing at great rates. In much the same way, the drastic reduction in violence is mostly thought to be related to decreases in poverty and lack of lead in gasoline and other products, not some "empathetic society" becoming a thing.





mk  ·  3230 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    if you set a prediction for a long enough set of time, then it is bound to come true.

That's not true. It's very easy to predict things that won't come to pass.

Nevertheless, you both seem to be saying a similar thing; technological advances will reduce poverty, and decrease barriers, which will lead to the diminished role of nations. That said, I agree with you that it won't come from any human desire to be more empathetic. Much more likely, technology and surplus will probably just enable it.

A good while ago, I wrote that this was already coming to pass for the very wealthy:

The empathy will be a while in coming.

blackbootz  ·  3229 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It's easier to be a peaceable, empathic, and civil society when resources are plenty.

mk  ·  3229 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yes, that's how I think it works.

bioemerl  ·  3229 days ago  ·  link  ·  

To be those things you describe implies that is a part of a change in the state of human nature, that people are "more" kind.

The reality will be that we aren't more kind, we just have more stuff, so we care less about sharing.